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Game Night
(Warner Bros/New Line Cinema)
By Lucas Allen
If you’ve seen “Horrible Bosses,” then you can expect something along the same lines with the new dark comedy “Game Night.” Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein delivered more of their raucous style that made them a household name with that earlier title. However, they also delivered much more style with some substance from a clever, witty script by Mark Perez that takes the movie into a different place.
Since they first met, Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) have hosted couples game night every weekend. On one particular weekend night, they’re joined by another couple named Kevin (Lamorne Morris) and Michelle (Kylie Bunbury), light-minded Ryan (Billy Magnussen) and his date Sarah (Sharon Horgan), and Max’s rich older brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler). Brooks wants to host a special game night of his own by staging a murder mystery complete with actors and real clues.
Suddenly, real kidnappers take Brooks away, with the players believing it’s all part of the game. Soon enough, they split into pairs hoping to outwit each other to win. Then Max and Annie decide to bend the rules and locate Brooks all by themselves. Little did they know Max’s brother was kidnapped after making bad deals with the mysterious criminal, The Bulgarian. Now it becomes a game of figuring out the mystery while saving a life.
There are enough laugh-out-loud moments to keep you entertained throughout the two-hour runtime. In fact, the movie is consistently funnier than most modern comedies released today that don’t go overboard on telling the same bits of humor repeatedly. It also goes shockingly dark, but it works well with the plot. One minute the comedy can be light-hearted, but then switch to something dramatic the next. They manage to keep the flow of each scene going without letting the tonal shift be an issue.
The directors also went in another direction by adding some well-shot action scenes without resorting to modern, tired approaches like shaky cam. Each of those scenes are edited to feel like a classic macho film from the 80s with funny actors replacing the likes of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. There’s also an impressive chase inside a mansion that’s shown in one continuous shot clearly inspired by the Tony Jaa Kung-fu films. Daley and Goldstein definitely has the knack of making entertaining action/comedies in the near future.
All the actors give their comic best, especially when they stick to the script. Both Bateman and McAdams display some pretty good chemistry with each other while performing some outrageous scenes. It’s also worth mentioning that Jesse Plemons steals some of the film as an older creepier version of Will Poulter’s character from “Detroit.” There are some surprise appearances from other actors that highlight the third act.
“Game Night” is certainly a game-changer, at least in terms of how a comedy film can be made today. The directors finally decided to strip down the usual routine from other recent comedies and mix things up. It’s worth watching for those looking for something fresh and different with laughs and thrills.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for language, sexual references, and some violence)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
